The Rise Of Tablet Shopping And What Online Retailers Need To Know About It

With the advancements of today’s technology, online is becoming the norm for many shoppers. In a recent survey in Britain, 29% of respondents stated that online shopping is the ‘best tech development of our time’. They mean it as well with eMarketer forecasting that the global eCommerce trade is expected to increase by 20.1% this year to reach $1.5 trillion, and with 70% of shoppers claiming to prefer online over real world shopping.

Customer experience will always be a hot topic in the world of eCommerce. Online retailers aiming to maintain competitiveness need to live and breathe by the fact that not only is the customer king, but customer experience is the key to the kingdom. This is why time needs to be invested providing the best possible experience for site visitors.

But when it comes to customer experience on tablet devices, there is more than meets the eye.

Tablets are undergoing a massive increase in popularity with a resulting flow-through to online shopping. Average spend and conversion rates are higher on tablets than other mobile devices. With their larger screens making it easy to pinch and zoom for detailed product views, search and web browsing, and their small, easy to handle size providing a comfortable and enjoyable experience, this should be of no surprise to eCommerce operators.

A recent study by Adobe indicated that tablet shoppers are three times more likely to make a purchase over mobile phone users, with average spend also 50 percent higher than desktop users.

These statistics highlight the need for a greater focus on the tablet customer experience. Research shows that great shopping experiences lead to increased conversions, higher spend and higher levels of customer loyalty and return. But are retailers ready for the surge in tablet commerce? Many tablet shopping sites report customers being dissatisfied with site usability compared to desktop versions.

Tablet users are known to spend more time interacting and engaging with content and media. In addition to making the tablet experience as intuitive as possible, online retailers should consider adding features that users can interact with, as studies show that tablet users will spend more time on a site with these features before making a purchase.

For example, Show. See. Sold. is an interactive display for eCommerce that not only increases time on site, but also conversion and average spend, whilst giving an enjoyable experience they look forward to returning to. Interactivity and the display of more images in the one view create an environment that promotes discovery and search. This improved user experience is the key to the improved uplift and key metrics for Show. See. Sold.

It is apparent that retailers who are not optimizing for tablet shopping are missing opportunities and will continue to do so until they make the tablet experience a priority.